Motor-controlling device.



T. E. BARNUM.

MOTOR CONTROLLING DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1907. 942,050. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

4 SHEEN-SHEET 1.

' ,WQQ; M42271 T. E. BARNUM.

MOTOR CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED HAB..14, 1907.

942,050, Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' w efi ea WW T. E. BARNUM.

MOTOR CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1907.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

%7%,/ 3g (2%; A M77132 T. E. BARNUM. MOTOR CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1907.

942,050. Patented Dec.7, 1909.

4 BHEETBBHEET 4.

UNITED STATES ENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. BABNUM, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLER-HAMMER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

MOTOR-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Specifi cation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1909.

Application filed larch 14, I907. Serial No. 362,352.

'1 b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. BARNUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor-Controlling Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, referenre being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in motor controlling devices.

'One of the objects of my invention is to provide means for automatically reversing the motor at predetermined intervals.

In certain mechanisms operated by electric motors, it frequently happens that it is desirable to automatically and at predetermined intervals, reversethe action of the Illt-(flltllllSllL This is particularly true with respect to washing machines and the like, as it isdesirable to operate the washing machine in one direction for a certain predetermined time, and then to reverse the movement of the washing machine and have it operate in a reverse direction for a length of time. 7

My invention is especially designed for controlling electric motors foroperating washing machines, and is so arranged that at regular intervals it reverses the direction of operation of the motor.

1t will be understood that while my in vention is particularly applicable to controlling motors for running washing machines, i1 is not limited to such use, and may be used in \arious other places where a controller of this cha acter is desirable.

For t e purpose of disclosing my invention, I have illustrated one embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawingszxFigure 1 is a front elevation of =my-controller with the casing in section. Fi 2 is a sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a etail view of the means for securing the drum sections to the shaft. Fig. 4 is a sectionalview taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on trated, I provide an inclosing and supporting casing 2, preferably formed of two parts only, the back to and bottom being formed in one piece, an the sides and front being formed in one piece. A shaft 3 is arranged to extend vertically through said casing, being supported in suitable journals 4 and 5, formed in the top and bottom of the casing, and is provided at one'end with a gear wheel 6, by which the controller is operated. This gear wheel may be connected to a source of power, as for instance a small motor 7 arranged in proximity to the controller, and

having pinion arranged to mesh with the gear wheel.

A drum formed of two sections 8 and 9 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft, by a suitable clamping member, which comprises a collar 10, secured upon the shaft and having arms 11 extending therefrom, through which are arranged to pass bolts 12, which secure upwardly extending lugs 13 of the sections 8 and 9 to the arms 11. Suitable insulating disks 14 are interposed between the arms 11, the bolts 12 and the lugs 13 of the drum sections to properly insulate the drum from the shaft. The lower ends of the drum are secured to the shaft in a manner slightly different from that of the upper end. Upon will more ully appear in the diagrammatic view.

Mounted within the casin and secured to the back thereof is a base 0 insulating material21, secured in position by any suitable means as by screws 22. The base 21 carries supports 23 for contact fingers 24. These fingers are preferably secured to the supports 23 by a spring arm 25. The outer ends of the fingers24 are arranged to en age the contacts 18 on the drum, whereby e ectrical circuit is established. The supports 23 are provided with binding posts 26, by which the various conductors may be secured 1n electrical connection with-the fingers 24.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a diagrammatic view of the circuitarrangement, and a developed View of the contacts of the drum. It will be understood. that in the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the sections 8 and 9 of the drums act as a conductor between In the various contacts secured thereon. diagrammatic view, however, I have illustrated the various contacts as being connected by conductors. I will use exponents to distinguish the various contacts on the drum as well as to identify the various contact fingers. The contacts of one section of the drum comprise two long contacts 18 and 18 and the three shorter contacts 18?, 18 and 18 The contacts on the other section of the drum comprise two long contacts, 18 and 18, and the shorter contacts 18*, 18 and 18*. In the structure provided ,for operating a single motor, three contact fingers 24, 24 and 24 are provided upon one side of the base, and six contact fingers 24 to 24 are provided upon the opposite. side of the base. The contact fingers. 24 and 24 are connected by a conductor 27 and the contact fingers 24 and 24 are connected by a conductor 28. The contact finger 24 is connected by conductor 29 with one terminal of the armature 30 of the motor. The contact one terminal of the series field winding 33 of the motor. The contact fingers 24 to 24, .are

connected with sections of a resistance 34. A starting box 35 is provided for the motor, the movable element 36 of which is arran ed to sweep over and engage a plurality 0 contacts 37 connected with a resistance 38. The last of the contacts 37 is connected by conductor 39 with the contact finger 24. The

first of the contacts 37 is connected'by con- -ductor 40 with one terminal of the shunt field winding 41 of the motor. The movable arm 36 of the starting box is connected with the negative side 42 of the supply main, and one terminal of the series field and of the shunt field is connected with the positive side 43 of the supply main.

In operation assuming that the drum moves in the direction of the arrow, then the contacts 18 and 18 will engage fingers 24 and 24 and at the same time the contacts 18 and 18 will engage contact fingers 24 and 24. With the contacts above mentioned in engagement with their cooperated fingers, the movable member 36 of the starting box is moved into engagement with the.

first of the contacts 37. Circuit will then be closed from the positive .*.de 43 of the line, through the series field winding 33, by conductor 32 to finger 24?, thence by contact 18 to contact 18, finger 24 conductor 29, armature 30, conductor 31, contact finger 24 contact 18', contact 18, contact 24', resist ance 34, conductor 39, resistance 38, movable arm 36, and back to the negative side 42 of the line. At the same time a shunt field circuit is established from the -ositive line 43, through the shunt field win ing 41, by conductor 40, arm 36, back to the ne ative main 42. The motor is thus started with all resistance in circuit. As the arm 36 is moved to the right it cuts out resistance 38 from the armature circuit and the motor builds up in speed. As the drum continues to'rotate, the contacts 18 to 18 will respectively engage the contact fingcrs.24 to 24, and cut the resistance 34 out of the armature circuit, increasing the speed of the motor to the maximum. Further rotation of the drum causes the contacts 18, and 18 to pass off contact fingers 24 and 24 and engage contact fingers 2'4, and 24, and at the same time causes contacts 18 and 18 to enga e fingers 24 and 24. This reverses the (low of current, through the armature oi; the motor, reversing the motor, and at the same time reinstates the resistance 34 in the armature circuit. When the motor is reversed, current flows from the ositivc side 43 of the line, through the series field Winding 33, by conductor 32, contact finger 24, thence to contact 18 and by contact 18 to contact finger 24 thence by conductor 31, through the armature 30 ot' the motor, by conductor 29, to contact finger 24, 'by com ductor 27, contact finger 24 thence to contact 18, and from contact 18 to contact finger 24, through the resistance 34, the starting box 35, to the negative side 42 of the line. As the contacts 18, 18 and 18 engage the fingers 24*,24 and 24, the resistance 34 will be out out of the armature circuit and the motor againbuilds up in speed. It will thus be seen that by my construction of controller,.I am enabled to operate the con? troller continuously, to periodically reverse the direction of operation of the motor,and upon each reversal of the direction ofpperation of the motor, insert and gradually v cut out a resistance in the armature circuit.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a diagrammatic view of the circuit arrangement for my controller when two motors are used. In addition to the contact fingers 24' to 24, I provide contact fingers 24 24 and 24. These fingers are connected with a resistance 44. I

In operation, assuming that the controller is moved in the direction of the arrowv and that the handle of the starting boxes 45 and 35 have been closed, then upon the engage-- ment of the contacts 18 and 18", with contact fingers 24 and 24 and the engagement of the contacts 18 and 18 with contact fingers 24 and .24, circuit will be closed from the positive side 46 of the line, through conductor 47, to contact finger 24?,thence to contact 18*, contact 18, contact finger 24;, through all of the resistance 44, by conductor 48, through the armature 49 -of one of the motors, conductor 50, arm 51, of the starting box 35, conductor -52, contact finger 24? and contact 18, thence to contact 18, by contact finger 24 conductor 52, contact finger 24 and by conductor 53, to the negative side 54 of the line. A branch circuit is also cs tablished from the contact finger 24, by conductor 55, through the armature 5(5, of the other motor, conductor 57, arm 58 of the starting box l5, conductor 59, resistance 37h, finger 24, and from thence to the opposite side of the line as has been previously traced. The shunt field (30 of the armature 56 is connected with the positive side of the line 46, by conductor 61, and to the opposite side of the line by conductors ($2 and 58. The shunt field (Set of the armature 49 is connected to the two sides of the line by conductors (35 and 66. As the contacts 18 to 18 engage the contact fingers 24 to 2 9, the resistance 44 is cut out of the circuit of the armature 49, gradually increasing speed thereof, and as the contact fingers 18 to 18 respectively engage contact fingers 24 to 243, the resistance 34; is cutout, section by section fromv the armature 56 of the motor, increasing the speed thereof. The continued rotation of the drum causes the contacts 18 and 18 to pass off the contact fingers an and 9A and engage contact fingers 24 and 24:, and the contacts 18 and 18'=, to engage contact fingers 24 and 24 which reverses the current through the armature of the motors, there by reversing the direction of the operation of the same, The continued movement of the arm causes the contacts 18 to 18 to engage fingers 24 to 24 cutting out the resistance from the circuit of the armatures of the motors. i

It will be noted that in the system for controlling two motors by means of a single controller, I provide a starting box or other suitable instrumentality for each motor so that each motor may be thrown into and out of operation independently of the other.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a controller for electric motors, in combination, a supporting frame, a shaft revolubly mounted in said frame, two drum sections rigidly mounted on said shaft, said drum sections being insulated from said shaft and from each other, a set of contact segments carried by each ofsaid drum sections, and stationary contact fingers arcach of said drum sections and stationary ranged to be engaged by said cont-act segments, said shaft being adapted to be continuously rotated in one direction to cause said sets-of contact segments to alternately engage said contact fingers to periodically change the circuit connections of the motor.

2. In a controller for electric motors, in combination, a supporting frame, a shaft revolubly mounted in said frame, two drum sections rigidly mounted on said shaft, said drum sections being insulated from said shaft and from each other, a set of contact segments carried by each of said drum. sections, and two oppositely disposed sets of contact fingers mounted on said frame, said shaft being adapted to be continuously rotated in one direction to cause said sets of contact segments to alternately engage said sets of contact fingers, certain of the segments on each drum section being arranged to cooperate with said contact fingers to control the direction of operation of the motor; and the other of said segments being arranged to cooperate with said contact fingers to gradually remove a resistance from the motor circuit upon each reversal of the motor.

In a controller for electric motors, in combination, a supporting frame, a shaft revolubly mounted thereon, two drum sections rigidly mounted on said shaft, said drum sections being insulated from said shaft and from each other, contact segments carried by contact fingers arranged to be engaged by said contact segments, certain of said segments on each drum section being arranged to cooperate with said contact fingers to control the direction of operation of the motor, and other of said segments on each drum section being arranged to cooperate with said contact fingers to gradually remove a resistance from the motor circuit upon each reversal of the motor, said resistance controlling segments being similarly arranged on both of said drum sections to insure gradual removal of the resistance from the motor circuit when said shaft is continuously rotated in one direction to periodically reverse the operation of the motor.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS E. BARNUM.

Witnesses:

OSCAR A. KELLER, A. H. BARNICKEL. 

